CBN TEACHING SHEETS
How to Respond to Sexual Abuse: Incest and Molestation
By CBN.com
CBN.com
– The
sin of incest is sexual intercourse between close family members other than husband
and wife, whether involving two adults or an older and a younger family member.
It is a crime of perverse sexual behavior. Molestation is the sexual abuse
of a younger, underage person by a family member or any older person. Obvious
examples are adult-adolescent or parent-child sexual activity. The legal age of
consent is normally considered in determining whether an act is one of molestation.
Biblically, any sexual behavior outside of marriage is sinful behavior.
If
You Were Abused
Sexual abuse is a traumatic experience,
but it doesn't have to ruin your life. You may feel guilty because you consented
to incest or allowed yourself to be molested. Or perhaps you and/or the abuser
were Christians when the sin took place. Nevertheless, God will forgive you.
Many
who have been willing or unwilling victims of incest or molestation have memories
which deny them the freedom to live without hate, bitterness and resentment, fear
and/or a desire for revenge. Yet you can be free and even find forgiveness for
the abuser in your heart. Jesus and Stephen, at the time of their deaths, were
both able to forgive those who executed them. Both looked to heaven and asked
God to forgive the sins of those who were guilty. If you are a Christian, you
have authority and influence with God concerning remittance of sin or retention
of sin (John 20:23). God will listen to your prayer. Just remember that Jesus
came to forgive rather than to condemn (John 3:16). To feel truly free, it
is important that you forgive your abuser. Holding on to the resentment and anger
will only hurt you and you will not feel totally cleansed. Once you pray for the
person and ask God to forgive him or her, the heavy burden within your heart will
be lifted away. Although it is often hard to forgive and forget, you can REMEMBER
WITH FORGIVENESS. Finally, God will even release you from the pain of the memories.
As you remember the ordeal of the incest or molestation, allow the Holy Spirit,
in power and healing, to cleanse your mind and give you God's peace. Begin to
praise and thank God who releases you and lifts your burdens (Ephesians 5:20;
I Thessalonians 5:17; Psalm 22:3; Romans 8:28). Sacrifice praise to God, your
Great Physician (Hebrews 13:15), until you have peace and joy in your heart and
liberty in your spirit. When that becomes a reality to you, you will know that
you are free and new in the Lord. If You Are The Abuser
Incest or sexual molestation is a sin from which you need to be set free. You
must be truly sorry and sincerely ask God to help you turn away from further temptation.
A good start is to be re-born spiritually. You will feel cleansed and free from
the desire to follow your old habits and lifestyle. Regardless of this sin or
any other (sin is sin, with none greater than the other), call on the Lord to
save, forgive and cleanse you and to come into your heart, right now (I John 1:8,
9; Romans 10:13; John 1:12). Then, you can begin your new life with God (II Corinthians
5:17). If you are a believer, be bold and ask your pastor or a Christian counselor
to pray with you and ask God to help you overcome the problem. Ask them to agree
with you in prayer that in accordance with God's Word, you may be forgiven and
delivered from incest or molestation.
What Scripture Says
"No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the
Lord...Everyone who does any of these detestable things -- such persons must be
cut off from their people" (Leviticus 18:6, 29).
"If a man sleeps with his
father's wife...his daughter-in-law...a woman and her daughter...his sister, the
daughter of either his father or his mother...it is a disgrace. They must be cut
off before the eyes of their people...he will be held responsible" (Leviticus
20:11, 12, 14, 17). "For John had said unto Herod, it is not lawful for you
to have your brother's wife" (Mark 6:18). "It is actually reported that there
is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans:
A man has his father's wife...hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful
nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord" (I Corinthians
5:1, 5). "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not
think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature" (Romans 13:14). "No
temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he
will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (I Corinthians
10:13). If You Discovered Abuse
Try to
get help for both the abuser and the victim. If you are a close friend or relative,
you may also need help. If you are a born-again Christian, pray before you take
any action. You may not know all the circumstances surrounding the abuse, and
if the abuse has ended, a different type of help may be in order.
Before you
do anything, seek the counsel of a minister. Ask for confidentiality if you desire.
And act only when you are sure of God's leading. Be sure you understand the consequences
of any action you decide to take. Whatever the Lord shows you to do, remember
you can and should intercede in prayer for everyone concerned. Remember that it
is not vengeance, but help that is needed.
As You Pray
Whether you are the guilty one, the victim, a family member, friend or other,
pray for God's forgiveness for all concerned. Pray for the wisdom to know what
to do now. Thank and praise God and honor Him as the Problem Solver. Dwelling
upon the problem honors Satan and the sin. Boldly, in Jesus' name, rebuke incest
and perversion. Renounce the sin and the Satanic influence over everyone involved.
Recommended Reading
Sandford, John Paula. The
Transformation of the Inner Man. Bridge Publishing, Inc.,
1982.
Choosing
a Christian Counselor
Study
these Bible verses on the following topics: Fornication: Acts 15:20; I Corinthians
5:1; 6:13-18; 7:2; I Thessalonians 4:3 Adultery: Proverbs 2:16-19; 6:20; 7:27;
9:13-18 Perversion: Romans 1:18-32 Counseling Referrals
The 700 Club Prayer Counselors are available
24 hours a day and seven days a week. If you
or someone you love needs prayer, please call our 24-hour Prayer line
(800) 759-0700. A 700 Club Prayer Counselor
will answer your call.
If you need ongoing support, we encourage
you to contact the pastor of your local church. With the guidance of your pastor,
you might also consider seeking professional Christian counseling. Here are some
national ministries that we can recommend:
The Association of Christians
in Private Practice
1-866-611-HELP
New Life Ministries
1-800-NEW-LIFE
Rapha National Network
1-800-383-HOPE
Emerge Ministries
1-800-621-5207
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you searching for peace with God? Find it here!
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you have a prayer Request?
Submit
your prayer request using our online prayer request form. We pray over each
need that is presented to us.
Have you invited Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior?
Send
us an e-mail using our online form so that we can pray with you.
Find a Church Near You
Related Article:Overcoming
Depression
Scripture references are taken form the New American Standard
translation of the Bible.
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